West Nile popping up around region

Researchers say a popular way to keep the pesky insects away isn\'t as effective as previously thought. (Getty Images, Daryl Benson)

WASHINGTON – It’s still early in the season, but some of the first positive test results are popping up for West Nile virus from mosquitoes.

The Fairfax County Health Department reports it has detected the virus in three of 780 mosquito pools.

West Nile virus has been detected in Prince William County, too. The Prince William Health District says mosquitoes at the Belmont Pump Station in Woodbridge, Va., collected July 9 have tested positive for the virus. The area where positive mosquitoes were found was treated to kill adult mosquitoes and breeding larvae.

The Maryland Department of Health does not yet have data to report. The state began tracking cases July 1.

Maryland reports that the number of West Nile virus cases in humans range from a peak of 73 in 2003 to 47 in 2012.

Most people bitten by an infected mosquito don’t get sick, but people who do usually suffer a mild, flu-like illness.

Because most mosquito species breed in standing water, health officials recommend that homeowners remove standing water as the most effective way of reducing bites.